Just got back from a concert in town and although it was fantastic it was spoiled for us a bit. I'm sure IANBU, but perhaps need some perspective.
Friend and I had seats at the end of a row, in the back corner of the arena so looking diagonally towards the stage, next to us was a woman perhaps in her late 70s/early 80s which was a bit surprising, we'd expected more to be with our own age group but other than being mildly surprised we didn't give it a second thought.
Half way through the concert, friend and I are happily stood up dancing and cheering like the majority of people there and a woman leans over from a few seats above & behind us and yells "you do know you two are the only ones stood up in this section don't you, why don't you sit down so other people can see" in a very aggressive tone. We said we're sorry but this is a music concert, strange as it is that this particular section seems to be filled with boring old farts people not wanting to dance actually 95% of the arena are on their feet. She yelled again that this poor woman next to us couldn't see and we ended up having a row where we explained our reasons for standing and she called us various names and eventually left. We felt a bit uneasy then but not sure what to do, our enjoyment would be spoiled by having to stop dancing/waving/cheering but of course not wanting the lady next to us to have her night spoiled either. We offered her our aisle seat to sit in so she would be in front of us and our standing wouldn't get in her way but she turned it down so we tried to get over the row and enjoy ourselves.
Ten minutes later the other woman comes back, on her way to the toilet passed behind us and yelled "I hope you're having a good time you selfish pair of cunts!" before stomping off. We were 
and tbh a bit upset. Didn't retaliate, so hopefully retained the mythical moral high ground but still it took away from an otherwise good night.
What would you have done? We paid the same as everyone else, we went there looking forward to dancing and jumping about as is usual at concerts, almost everyone else was, if the older lady couldn't stand then there were disabled seats available but she had booked a standard seat. We did offer her ours but she turned it down and from what we could see everyone else could have stood up if they chose. We weren't allowed to move and stand anywhere else. AIBU?
AIBU?
To be upset at being called a selfish cunt at a concert?
TheDarkSideOfTheSpoon · 27/01/2013 10:17
Actually have all you UK mumsnetters been deprived of the classic clip that is Boyzone's first ever TV appearance on Irish TV?
They certainly danced then. 
montage I love that clip, never fails to make me and cringe on equal measure!
scarlet yep, that's the beauty of an anonymous forum, I could be your respectable accountant in RL and you would never suspect my dirty little secret 
Oh yes pear, I'll be there with bells on although this time hoping for standing tickets only
I'm not sure I could keep up montage!
I think if the old dear didn't want to stand she should have bought front of the section tickets.
You offered to swap seats.
I may well have asked staff to have a word with her to explain standing is acceptable. Dancing in the aisle would have soon got their attention.
What I don't understand is how anyone is meant to know what these unwritten rules about bands and gigs and dancing are? I've been to plenty of live events over the years, some standing, some sitting, some where people started to bop along at the end to the "big final encore" - but was when I went to a Fleetwood Mac reunion concert at Wembley arena a couple of years ago - took a friend as a treat as she is a huge fan, got decent seats (so I thought).
Everyone in our section was standing from the first song - the seats were so crammed together it was hard to stand upright and we couldn't see a bloody thing. The people up on the (cheaper) elevations were all sitting comfortably and could see everything - we could see nothing and were so uncomfortable that we left early. totally miserable experience as we couldn't even move properly if we'd wanted to dance as we were jammed in. It just wouldn't have happened in my local (very large) venue - they regularly take out the 'ground floor' seats for standing so you know what you're getting when you buy the ticket.
To comment on this thread you need to create a Mumsnet account.